Get your hands on the good stuff. A quality cigar contains nothing but tobacco. Your corner drugstore carries cigars that have been adulterated with preservatives or additives.
Your local tobacconist is the best place to start. Mail order companies might have better prices, but they won’t send you samples or sell you singles. Get your cigar from a reputable tobacconist who can walk you through your purchase. You can smell the different varieties and see the kind of quality you’re paying for.
There’s a difference between “vintage” and “stale.” A box of old stogies can grind a bachelor party to a halt. Reputable tobacconists keep their stock in a humidor at about seventy degrees, with about seventy percent humidity. Under these conditions, a well-made cigar can last for decades. If you don’t have a humidor of your own, may shops will allow you to store your purchase there until the night of your party.
The country makes a difference. Just
like any other kind of agriculture, tobaccos from different
countries absorb qualities from the soil. Slight differences
in the way that cigars are cured and rolled will add to
their subtle nuances. For instance, Jamaican cigars are
usually the mildest, while the Dominican Republic rolls
slightly stronger cigars. For stronger, heavier smokes,
look for cigars from Honduras or Nicaragua. If you can
get your hands on a pre-Castro Cuban cigar, you’ll
enjoy a creamy delight.
